Renter's Guide to Charlotte

Charlotte, better known to locals as the Queen City, is the largest city in the state of North Carolina. Known for its small-town feel and big city skyline, Charlotte is the home of both Bank of America and the Nascar Hall of Fame.

The city has been growing fairly consistently since the 1990s and the metropolitan area has nearly 800,000 people, making is almost twice the size of the state’s capital in Raleigh, which sits a short 160 miles to the northeast. The third-largest city by population in North Carolina, Greensboro is 90 miles away from Charlotte. Atlanta, GA lies about 244 miles away. If you want to travel from Charlotte to Williamsburg, VA, it will take you about 5 hours to get there by car as the two cities are 335 miles apart.

Looking for a cool destination for a weekend getaway? Myrtle Beach, SC is 175 miles away (about 3 hours and a half on the road).

The weather in Charlotte is very mild during all seasons but summer, when it typically gets fairly hot and humid. But for those that like some fun in the sun it’s a great spot, as the city sees an average of 214 days of sunlight a year, officially making it one of the sunniest spots in the country.

Charlotte, NC Demographics

Total Population792,137

Female380,065

Male412,072

Median Age33.7

Cost of Living in Charlotte, NC

When compared to most large American cities, the cost of living in Charlotte is relatively inexpensive. A typical meal for two at a midlevel restaurant with local fare and some craft brews from one of the area breweries costs between $40 and $50. And paying for utilities won’t set you back too much either, as electricity, heating, water, and garbage together cost only about $125 a month, below the national average of $140.

To get around, Charlotte has several public transportation options, with a public bus line covering the metro area, as well as a light rail system that covers the larger areas of the city. Both are very inexpensive, with a round trip light rail ticket costing around $1.50, and a daily bus pass costing about $6.

Average Rent in Charlotte, NC

Charlotte, NC Average Rental Price, August, 2018$1,142/mo

Studio$1,059

1 Bedroom$1,027

2 Bedrooms$1,175

Charlotte, NC Apartment Rent Ranges

$501-$7005%

$701-$1,00036%

$1,001-$1,50045%

$1,501-$2,0009%

> $2,0004%

Charlotte, NC Rent Trends

Average RentAll rentals

Studio

1 Bed

2 Beds

3 Beds

Aug / 2018

$1,142

$1,059

$1,027

$1,175

Jan / 2018

$1,142

$1,057

$1,027

$1,175

Sept / 2017

$1,142

$1,081

$1,027

$1,171

May / 2017

$1,137

$1,034

$1,031

$1,168

Jan / 2017

$1,099

$1,026

$992

$1,127

Sept / 2016

$1,109

$1,024

$997

$1,141

May / 2016

$1,094

$1,026

$983

$1,127

Jan / 2016

$1,063

$990

$961

$1,089

Sept / 2015

$1,051

$986

$943

$1,077

May / 2015

$1,021

$912

$916

$1,045

/

Average rent is projected to grow by 2% in 2018 compared to 2017.

Please note that projected rent growth is calculated at city level.

Average rent values on this page are aggregated from data from the following zip codes: 282022820328204282052820628207282082820928210282112821228213282142821528216282172822628227282442826228269282702827328277282782828028282

Living in Charlotte

Like living in any major city, Charlotte comes with a number of pros and cons. The Queen City is a cultural melting pot of both people and food, ranking as one of the 10 most diverse cities in the United States. You can find high-end restaurants in Charlotte like Bentley’s Restaurant, Morton's Steakhouse, and the Bonterra Dining and Wine Room, as well as local favorites such as Midwood Smokehouse and Tupelo Honey Cafe.

Parking in Charlotte can be a bit of an issue, though. While there are plenty of parking garages available downtown, many are either expensive or offer private parking only, and street parking is typically tough to find.

Things to do in Charlotte

There’s no shortage of things to do in Charlotte, and for a night out the spot to go there’s the Epicentre in the heart of uptown. To get here there are several options, including the light rail; ridesharing services like Uber and Lyft are available in Charlotte, too. The Epicentre features multiple restaurants and bars like Whisky River and Howl at the Moon, as well as a full-sized movie theater, making it a great spot for both adults and couples.

The NoDa area on North Davidson and Montford area off Woodlawn are also popular nightlife spots for adults in the Charlotte area. And then there’s The Fillmore Charlotte that opened its doors to the public in 2009 in the heart of the NC Music Factory entertainment complex (recently renamed AvidXchange Music Factory).

The city has several popular annual events throughout the year as well, like the Taste of Charlotte every summer and Restaurant Week in the fall, where visitors can try some of the tastiest food around at discounted prices.

Charlotteans can also catch the NBA’s Charlotte Hornets play a game at the beautiful Time Warner Cable Arena. Or for those more interested in football or baseball, the NFL’s Carolina Panthers play nearby in Bank of America Stadium, and the Charlotte Knights, a Chicago White Sox affiliate, play in the scenic BB&T Ballpark uptown.

And there are plenty of ways to have fun in Charlotte without spending money, too. For families and those with little ones (and even those that don’t), the Kings Drive Art Walk is the perfect event. There’s plenty of fun for adults and kids alike, with lots of food, music, games, and of course, art!

The city of Charlotte boasts over 210 public parks, including Freedom Park, which covers over 98 acres and plays host to the annual Festival in the Park every September. For a good spot to walk the dog or to take the kids to play, Charlotte residents can also check out Reedy Creek Park, Winget Park, James Boyce Park, or Nevin Community Park.

For shoppers, the South Park Mall is the most popular shopping mall, featuring many high-end stores like Coach, Louis Vuitton, and Michael Kors. The area also is home to the Northlake Mall and Ayrsley Village, both popular shopping and entertainment venues in Charlotte. The Northlake Mall has over

100 shops, while Ayrsley Village has several bars and restaurants, as well as a Regal Cinemas Movie Theater.

Employment & Economy

While Bank of America may be the biggest bank headquartered in Charlotte, it’s far from the only bank here. The city is filled with professionals in the banking, finance, and accounting industries, and has some of the best-paying jobs in the country in each field. In addition to Bank of America, there are six other Fortune500 companies headquartered in Charlotte, including Lowe’s, Nucor, Duke Energy, Sonic Automotive, Family Dollar, and Domtar, so there are plenty of jobs to go around. Charlotte also has an employment rate of 4.5 percent, below the national average of 5 percent.

As the fourth largest of the 16 institutions within the University of North Carolina system and the largest institution in the Charlotte region, UNC Charlotte offers a wide array of bachelor, master, and doctoral degrees in seven professional colleges: Liberal Arts and Sciences, Arts + Architecture, Business, Computing and Informatics, Education, Engineering, and Health & Human Services. It’s a truly diverse group of schools, allowing those in Charlotte to further their education in a multitude of different fields and industries.

Charlotte, NC Education Statistics

No High School5%

Some High School27%

Some College23%

Associate Degree7%

Bachelor Degree26%

Graduate Degree12%

Tips for Renting in Charlotte

The rights of renters in Charlotte are very similar to those of most states, as well as surrounding areas and cities. However, North Carolina has specific requirements for eviction notice, as long as the notice length is not specifically stated in the lease. For a monthly rental, the eviction period is seven days: for a year-to-year rental, the minimum eviction notice is 30 days: and for a mobile home, the minimum eviction notice is 60 days.

Most Expensive Rental

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